Home | Newsletter | Advertise
loading...

Foreclosures Become Free Farmer’s Markets

  • August 15, 2011

by Mark Wellborn

Foreclosures Become Free Farmer's Markets: Figure 1

The New York Times reported on Sunday that the gardens and fruit trees of bank-owned homes have become the equivalent of free farmer’s markets in many U.S. metropolitan areas. The article focuses on an Atlanta woman who has found figs, tomatoes and even watermelon in the gardens of these vacant properties on her nightly strolls. The piece also says that the trend extends to owner-occupied homes in other parts of the country:

Over the last few years, in cities from Oakland, Calif., to Clemson, S.C., well-intentioned foraging enthusiasts have mapped public fruit trees and organized picking parties. Volunteers descend on generous homeowners who are happy to share their bounty, sometimes getting a few jars of preserves in return.

While taking the produce from vacant homes is technically illegal, the article notes that the produce would go bad if not picked, and that in many instances, the pickers end up giving the fruits and vegetables to the homeless and/or local food banks. Perhaps this is what will become of the glut of foreclosures, rather than turning them into rentals.

See other articles related to: the new york times, famrer's markets

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/foreclosures_become_free_farmers_markets/3979

DC Real Estate Guides

Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market

We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Visit guides.urbanturf.com or start browsing below!

First-Timer Primers

Intro guides for first-time home buyers

Red Flags Revealed During a Home Inspection Top 5 Tax Breaks For Homeowners Tax Relief for DC Homeowners
Condo Fee Tutorial What is a Rent Back? 10 Ways To Tell If a Home Renovation is Well Done
Obtaining a Basic Business License For Your Rental What is an Adjustable Rate Mortgage? The Splitting the Rent Formula
How Much Cash Do You Need to Buy a House? Is This Condo Building Financially Healthy? Interest Rates and Mortgage Points
The Scoop on Mortgage Insurance

Unique Spaces

Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro

The Most Intriguing Loft in DC The R Street Firehouse DC’s One-Room House
Dupont Circle’s Old Frat House To Become Alley Home Best Transition From a Garage To a Home The Roundhouse
Tilden Gardens Restaurant-Turned-Home Hits Market Next Week Logan Circle’s Most Intriguing Garage Frank Lloyd Wright Goes Green in Kensington
Sears Bungalow Gets a Modern Makeover Old Town General Store Becomes Three-Level Home Making the Most of a Skinny House
A Studio 27 Renovation on Capitol Hill Once a Carriage House, Now a Home The Bank that Became a Home
From Pie to Hooch to Heroin to Home The Live-Aboards of Gangplank Marina A Treehouse with Rock Creek Park As A Backyard
Modern Tranquility in Sperryville Saddle Up For Stable Living Throwing a Curve at 550 Square Feet
A Modern Hilltop Retreat Tilden Street Restaurant Becomes Spacious Home Focus on Design: A Vastu Unit at 22 West
The DC Area’s First Net Zero Home A Yankee Goes Green DC’s First Carbon Neutral Home
Eco-Friendly Alley House Off H Street The Gym, The Stables and The Firehouse